WILLIAMSBURG — Since the James Madison fiasco four years ago, Virginia Tech has roughed up three Football Championship Subdivision opponents by an average margin of 51-8. A similar mauling of William and Mary in this season’s opener is unlikely.

Not to forecast the Tribe will match JMU’s conquest of the Hokies. Uncertainty and inexperience at quarterback bode ill for William and Mary against a defense as fast and accomplished as Tech’s.

But in the FCS, the Tribe’s defense is as credentialed as the Hokies’ in the Bowl Subdivision. Indeed, with veterans such as end Mike Reilly, linebackers Luke Rhodes and Airek Green and cornerback DeAndre Houston-Carson among eight returning starters, William and Mary is more than capable of creating headaches for whomever emerges as Tech’s first-time starter at quarterback.

“I think we can be very dominant (this year),” Rhodes said Monday as preseason practice opened.

The Tribe was close in 2013, ranking second nationally in scoring defense (14.0 points per game) and eighth in total defense (305.5 yards per game) en route to a 7-5 finish. William and Mary shut out eventual playoff semifinalist New Hampshire and limited national runner-up Towson to 15 points, less than half the Tigers’ 36.6 norm. Delaware averaged 32.8 per game, but managed just 10, at home, against the Tribe.

This was not an anomaly. William and Mary’s 2009 and ’10 playoff teams, the first of which reached the semifinals, ranked second and sixth nationally in scoring defense.

Led by All-Americans in both the front seven (Adrian Tracy, Sean Lissemore and Reilly) and secondary (B.W. Webb and Jerome Couplin), the Tribe’s defense has made recent games versus the FBS very competitive. William and Mary defeated Virginia 26-14 in 2009 before losing 21-17 to North Carolina the next season, 7-6 to Maryland in ’12 and 24-17 to West Virginia last season.

Eight of the Tribe’s last 10 FBS contests have been decided by fewer than 14 points, the exceptions defeats of 44-3 at Tech in 2007 and 40-3 at Virginia in 2011. Both of those William and Mary teams finished with losing records, while the 2007 Hokies won the ACC, and the 2011 Cavaliers went 8-5.

A constant on those defenses was assistant coach Trevor Andrews, entering his 14th season on Jimmye Laycock’s staff. Andrews joined the program as a cornerbacks coach, shifted to the defensive line in 2004, was promoted to associate head coach in 2013 and now starts his first season as defensive coordinator and linebackers coach — Scott Boone, the previous DC, left during the offseason for a similar position at Nevada.

To replace Andrews as defensive line coach, Laycock hired Kevin Lewis from Dartmouth. Lewis is a 2005 graduate of Virginia Tech, where he started three seasons on the line for assistant coach Charley Wiles.

Lewis and Andrews consider Wiles a mentor.

“When I first moved to coaching d-line before the 2004 season, he was a legend in the state as a d-line coach, a staple, so he was the first guy I called,” Andrews said. “I went right down there (to Blacksburg), and he literally taught me how to coach d-line. And that’s who taught Kevin, so that was kind of a big pull in hiring Kevin, in that we had similar backgrounds.”

“It’ll be awesome,” Lewis said of coaching in Lane Stadium, “but at the end of the day, we have a job to do, I have a job to do. … I have fond memories of that place. I learned a lot, but … I understand that Coach Jimmye Laycock is helping me pay my mortgage.”

Lewis played for a head coach, Frank Beamer, who is entering his 28th season leading his alma mater. Now Lewis works for a big whistle who’s entering his 35th season guiding his alma mater.

“It’s not just a job to Coach Laycock,” Lewis said. “This is home to him. … Just like Coach Beamer. It’s a little more personal (with) the kinship he has with the people here. You kind of feel that.”

In Reilly, Lewis inherits the Colonial Athletic Association’s sacks leader (11.5) from last season. In Green and Rhodes, respectively, Andrews inherits a playmaker on the weak side and a run-stopper in the middle. Green returned a fumble and interception for touchdowns last year, while Rhodes averaged 8.2 tackles.

If Virginia Tech hangs half-a-hundred on this defense, it’s going to be a very good year in Blacksburg.

Look for more on Andrews and the William and Mary defense in Wednesday's print column.

I can be reached at 247-4636 or by email at dteel@dailypress.com. Follow me at twitter.com/DavidTeelatDP

BLACKSBURG — As Virginia Tech opened its preseason football practices Monday, coach Frank Beamer and his staff got busy confronting some of the more pressing issues on their plate, including quarterbacks, running backs, kickers, injuries and offensive tackle.

Florida State ambushed nine ACC opponents by a staggering 38.9 points per game last year. The Seminoles scored at least 41 in each league outing, allowed more than 14 only once and humbled eventual Orange Bowl champion Clemson 51-14 — in Death Valley.

Virginia Tech is debuting beer and wine sales at home football games this season, but the availability is strictly limited, will not generate significant revenue and does not foreshadow alcohol at concession stands throughout Lane Stadium.